To support degree completion, the CSEMS program at New Mexico State University provides financial support to academically talented, financially needy students, improving their educational experience through activities that promote academic and professional excellence and workforce preparedness. Building on the state-wide partnership established in 1993 by the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation (New Mexico AMP) Program, CSEMS will offer scholarships to thirty transfer students and incoming freshmen.
Additionally, the program offers the CSEMS Academic and Professional Experience (CAPE) that includes four important components: 1) academic tutoring, 2) academic and professional workshops, 3) discipline-specific faculty mentorships, and 4) research opportunities. CAPE complements a wide array of existing student support programs and services.
Students are recruited for the program in collaboration with 1) existing mechanisms of New Mexico AMP, 2) the College of Engineering, 3) the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Center, and 5) the Financial Aid Office. Program selection will be based on financial need and academic merit, with first priority given to underrepresented students transferring from a New Mexico community college, second priority given to graduated high school seniors entering as freshmen in the targeted disciplines, and third priority given to currently enrolled NMSU students.
Intellectual Merit: CSEMS contributes to improved graduation rates for students in New Mexico, a state with a large pool of Hispanic and American Indian students. Through CSEMS and CAPE, students are afforded highly individualized support, integrating well with existing opportunities. Faculty mentors work closely with the CSEMS facilitator and New Mexico AMP staff to periodically review student progress. Students are advised about existing course and research opportunities, including integrated learning communities, and the Undergraduate Research Assistantship (URA), a faculty-mentored research project. As sophomores, students have the opportunity to enter the CSEMS URA Program, which is a means of rewarding and encouraging students to a higher level of academic excellence. In this URA, students conduct research in interest areas, receive focused mentoring and training, and present at student symposiums and conferences. The high level of faculty involvement lends to the intellectual merit of the CSEMS, with the PI, three of the Co-PIs, the New Mexico AMP Program Manager, and the Selection Committee Head currently teaching at NMSU.
Broader Impact: Through the statewide network, CSEMS impacts the states student population by advancing discovery and understanding and promoting teaching, training, and learning. CSEMS at New Mexico State University promotes improved access to higher education, particularly for community college students who are frequently also first-generation college students. CSEMS enhances the infrastructure for research and education by its strong integration with the Undergraduate Research Assistantship Program and its focus on faculty and research mentorships. Importantly, it strengthens the connection with industry by provide internships, co-ops, and mentorships for students.
